3 Trips: Fall Deals

For:

Golf Getaway

Spa Retreat

Family Fun

Where:

Popular Grand View Lodge (866-801-2951) in Nisswa offers great fall golf packages, including deluxe lodgings with indoor pools and a water slide, plus breakfast (and dinner with the Gold Package), and two top-notch eighteen-hole courses.

Sundara Inn & Spa (888,735-8181) in Wisconsin Dells deserves a break of its own. Early flooding hurt the summer tourist season, so help yourself—and the area—recover with a September—October package.

Lutsen Resort (800-258-8736) offers amenities to keep everyone in the family busy, including swimming complexes, golf course, beach, and game room. Plus, take advantage of the extensive trails— it might be your last chance to bike, hike, and run in semidecent weather.

The Savings:

In summer, the golf packages range from $165 to $250 per night, up to $174 for each additional night. Fall rates drop to $155 for the Silver Package and $219 for unlimited golf. October packages start at $125 tor the first night to under $100 for additional nights. Bonus: Nisswa is less than a tankful of gas away from the Twin Cities.

Packages start at $189 a night per person. Get a spa breakfast and deluxe suites that include featherbeds, gas fireplaces, and in-room spa products. Upgrade to a villa, starting at $289, and get an in-room whirlpool tub, full kitchen, and spa terrace. Plus, you have access to all the surrounding Wisconsin Dells kitsch and chaos without losing the little luxuries.

There’s special pricing for packages of three or more nights, and kids twelve and under eat breakfast and dinner free with the family package. Bonus: Golf and the use of all facilities are included in the price!

Backup Plan:

After September 15, green fees at Giants Ridge (218-865-3000) on the Iron Range drop 30 percent to $62 for the first round and $38 for additional rounds. And local lodges such as Villas at Giants Ridge (800-843-7434) also cut rates up to 30 percent.

Through October 31, the ultraluxurious Destination Kohler (800-344-2838) in Kohler, Wisconsin, offers one night in its upscale carriage house for $198, as long as two fifty-minute services are purchased (at up to 20 percent off). It’s as good as deals get at the sybaritic spa.

Head to Brainerd, where Breezy Point Resort (800-432-3777) slashes prices by about 30 percent after September 21. A two-bedroom Pelican Cove accommodation, complete with whirlpool tub, can house a family of four for only $239 a night (Sunday–Wednesday), $120 less than in summer.